Many people at my alley changing to Motive.

[Blomer]

I know it's the off season but several of the regulars who free bowl during the summer and int he summer sport league have switched from their old brands to Motive. Anyone seeing s move to a certain brand at your house?

[bowl1820]

I know it's the off season but several of the regulars who free bowl during the summer and int he summer sport league have switched from their old brands to Motive. Anyone seeing s move to a certain brand at your house?

Motiv came on strong here last season, they really got going when the Primal Rage came out.

[LyalC52]

VERY Storm heavy here in Utah.
FYI Storm's headquarters is in Utah

[John Anderson]

I've seen a ton of DV8 equipment lately. Mostly because they are a newer brand, are cheaper by just a little bit, and seem to perform equally as well if not better than some more expensive equipment from Storm, Brunswick themselves, and Ebonite.

I personally picked Ebonite a couple years back because at the time they were the most common at my center, so I figured they must be pretty good. I was/am very pleased with the performance I got out of their stuff.

[NewToBowling]

In our league everyone gets a DV8 ball and many have played this league before so there are tons of Hooligans and Thug balls

[rv driver]

so there are tons of Hooligans and Thug balls
But what about the bowling equipment?

[rv driver]

My center seems Hammer and Storm heavy. I've got the only DV8 I know of (other than the one I bought my son), and the only Pyramid.

[mc_runner]

Motiv is coming on stronger. Storm is still the main ball, Motiv seems to have taken Hammer's share at my center - although I think that has to do with the pro shop stocking more of their stuff.

[dougb]

Out here in NorCal Storm dominates the market from what I see, probably followed by DV8. I see a lot of different brands, but not that much Motiv. That new Forza Redline may change that a bit. One of the coolest looking balls I've ever seen. Looks like an old-school race car to me.

[jab5325]

The Venom Shock, Forza, and Primal Rage are all very popular in my league.

I'll probably get a Motiv for my next arsenal just to try them out.

[NewToBowling]

Beyond the Hooligan and Thug balls I mentioned in an earlier post Storm/Roto Grip are popular also. Sinister, Ride, etc

[foreverincamo]

Lots of EBI products where I practice. Mostly Storm and Brunswick where I bowl league. Have to look for Motiv when the season starts .

[rv driver]

I notice that my pro shop is featuring a lot more Motiv stuff -- posters, shirts, promo materials. And they have more Motiv balls in stock.

[Bradski9]

Our bowling alley is owned by a a father and son, both motiv staffers. So our alley favors motiv xD

[bubba809]

Haven't seen too many at my house. My friend has a couple and has been trying to get me to purchase one. I already have enough and really want the new legend solid.

...I have been enticed by the Jackal though.


Bloomin' Onions!!

[Mgower]

Our pro shop had a two ball deal on A Global 900 pair so I've seen those balls all over my center lately. Storm also has a very big presence.

[Aslan]

Storm still dominates the lanes. And Ebonite International (C300. Hammer, Track, Ebonite), despite their below average marketing, have a more lucrative sales partnership which tends to get their products pushed almost exclusively at many pro shops in the area...so I see those brands a lot.

DV8 kinda took a bite out of Hammer a decade ago or thereabouts...but I think Motiv is taking that business now. Motiv seems to be the "new cool brand" like DV8 was and like Hammer was. And it helps that in the past couple years Motiv staffers/pros have held their own quite well against Storm in competition...despite Storm dominating the tour in terms of sponsored players.

And you still see a ton of Brunswick out there...but Brunswick got hurt by the decision to move production to Mexico...that lost a lot of the blue collar die hard Brunswick folks...and add to that the recent decisions to sell off the bowling division and question marks about their eventual existence...it's kinda pushed people away from them. And that's too bad because from what I've seen traveling around and watching tournaments and such....Brunswick's engineering seems to be the best out there. Their balls perform at a very high level...definitely on par with Storm and seemingly of better quality given Storm's ball's tendencies/reputation to get used up faster (die early) and their tendency to crack sooner.

Rotogrip...top level players still are out there throwing Hyper Cells...but I've been disappointed in what I've seen from their lesser stuff. They got a lot of attention after that kid threw the 900 with the Asylum, but all their HP3 and HP2 stuff since I've seen nothing but disappointment. Radical was supposed to re-invigorate the Brunswick brand...but the initial reviews of the Reaxx were so bad that they released a Version 2 shortly after the original. The Guru seems to be showing up more and is a hook monster...so I think they've recovered...but still not a real player. And then there's 900 Global which went from being the red-headed step-child of bowling balls to an orphan that nobody cares about...then Storm steps in and they get back in the PBA and sign Chris Barnes...now they're back to being the red-headed step-child again.

Motiv is doing everything right...and when you do everything right, you tend to be successful. Can they ever be as big as the Big 3 brands/companies? Maybe. Can they ever be #1? Probably not. Storm is like the "super-power" of bowling ball manufacturers and is in such a dominant position....something really big would have to happen to push them to #2 or lower. Storm sponsors far more bowlers at every level, they're involved in amateur tournaments more than the other brands, they have an innovation (scent) that makes them stand out. Their marketing is first class, especially compared to a rather sub-par rest of the field, and they have top notch performance out-of-the-box...and the most complete LINE (Beginner to Pro) of any company by FAR...especially if you add in Rotogrip. And Storm does all of this while maintaining a fairly reasonable cost/pricing...and manufacturing domestically. Motiv has a much smaller line-up...and they don't have the same advantages of scale...prices tend to be higher.

[foreverincamo]

Where I practice there is a group sponsered by EBI, more specifically Hammer. They shoot ball reaction videos and post them to FB. They got me to try the Hammer Black Widow Legend, which is the only non-Brunswick/DV8 ball I carry. It has a different shape than any of my other equipment and I do like it a lot.
I've yet to see a Motive ball. I'll look for one tomorrow when I practice.

[rv driver]

Storm still dominates the lanes. And Ebonite International (C300. Hammer, Track, Ebonite), despite their below average marketing, have a more lucrative sales partnership which tends to get their products pushed almost exclusively at many pro shops in the area...so I see those brands a lot.

DV8 kinda took a bite out of Hammer a decade ago or thereabouts...but I think Motiv is taking that business now. Motiv seems to be the "new cool brand" like DV8 was and like Hammer was. And it helps that in the past couple years Motiv staffers/pros have held their own quite well against Storm in competition...despite Storm dominating the tour in terms of sponsored players.

And you still see a ton of Brunswick out there...but Brunswick got hurt by the decision to move production to Mexico...that lost a lot of the blue collar die hard Brunswick folks...and add to that the recent decisions to sell off the bowling division and question marks about their eventual existence...it's kinda pushed people away from them. And that's too bad because from what I've seen traveling around and watching tournaments and such....Brunswick's engineering seems to be the best out there. Their balls perform at a very high level...definitely on par with Storm and seemingly of better quality given Storm's ball's tendencies/reputation to get used up faster (die early) and their tendency to crack sooner.

Rotogrip...top level players still are out there throwing Hyper Cells...but I've been disappointed in what I've seen from their lesser stuff. They got a lot of attention after that kid threw the 900 with the Asylum, but all their HP3 and HP2 stuff since I've seen nothing but disappointment. Radical was supposed to re-invigorate the Brunswick brand...but the initial reviews of the Reaxx were so bad that they released a Version 2 shortly after the original. The Guru seems to be showing up more and is a hook monster...so I think they've recovered...but still not a real player. And then there's 900 Global which went from being the red-headed step-child of bowling balls to an orphan that nobody cares about...then Storm steps in and they get back in the PBA and sign Chris Barnes...now they're back to being the red-headed step-child again.

Motiv is doing everything right...and when you do everything right, you tend to be successful. Can they ever be as big as the Big 3 brands/companies? Maybe. Can they ever be #1? Probably not. Storm is like the "super-power" of bowling ball manufacturers and is in such a dominant position....something really big would have to happen to push them to #2 or lower. Storm sponsors far more bowlers at every level, they're involved in amateur tournaments more than the other brands, they have an innovation (scent) that makes them stand out. Their marketing is first class, especially compared to a rather sub-par rest of the field, and they have top notch performance out-of-the-box...and the most complete LINE (Beginner to Pro) of any company by FAR...especially if you add in Rotogrip. And Storm does all of this while maintaining a fairly reasonable cost/pricing...and manufacturing domestically. Motiv has a much smaller line-up...and they don't have the same advantages of scale...prices tend to be higher.
Interesting what you say about Brunswick. My pro shop's display wall used to be chock full of Brunswick. Now they've got like one Mastermind Scholar, one Exile and one LT-48. Period. Last year, they had 0-zip-nada Motiv (although they could order it). Now, they've got a wall full of Motiv, and it's all in the front. Even the Storm stuff has been moved back. I actually had to dig to find a Rocket and a Crux, back in the far corner. And they didn't even have a IQ Tour Fusion up there -- and no Tropical Breezes, either -- all stuff they had a wall full of last year.

I wondered if they've actually dropped Brunswick (although I didn't ask -- i was too busy dealing with getting my IT system installed).

I know that, in other retail ventures, companies contract with the retailers for display placement of their stock. When I worked in music retail, for example, Gibson stipulated that their stuff had to hang in the most prominent place on the wall as part of the contract with them, and I wonder if Motiv is doing the same thing in pro shops? I also wonder if Motiv is giving incentives to the pro shops in exchange for carrying more product?

[Bowlenheimer]

Mainly Storm where I play with some Rotogrip thrown in.

[rv driver]

As an addendum to my last post, to be fair, they did have a Cyclone, too. They also had a fair amount of Radical equipment -- and no DV8! They used to have TONS of DV8. I really wonder if Brunswick isn't going down the crapper, or if it's just my pro shop?

[Ryster]

I just got my first Motiv ball, the red Primal Rage, about a month ago. Like any ball it has its time and place. It works well to start the night, but by the end of the 2nd game it is time to go to another ball. I usually switch to a solid cover ball for the 3rd game as the Rage starts to get very over/under. The Rage carries very well, but I have not found it to be any better than my Radical, Columbia, Track, or DV8 balls. My Motiv experience so far has not convinced me that I want to run out and get another.

Motiv has exploded here, and the shop I use is very Motiv-centric. They will happily get you whatever you want to order, but really like Motiv. Another local shop is owned by Motiv staffers, so they are selling a lot of Motiv too.

[Aslan]

The tour plays a part as well. Motiv did well on the tour last season, people wake up and get excited about Motiv. We'll see what happens on the PBA50 Tour…I need to catch up on watching it…but early on Parker Bohn won twice throwing the Rhino Pro…and that at least influenced me to take a look at that ball despite my usual avoidance of "retro balls". I'm finishing watching the first WPBA event and it looks like ROtogrip vs. Rotogrip…my first though was that Rotogrip may see a bump among female bowlers as a result…especially if that continues.

The problem with the PBA is they don't require the bowler to bowl with a ball that's brand matches your jersey…so I think the two gals throwing FOR Rotogrip…are actually throwing Storm balls…and the rep there is 'TEAM STORM'….so maybe Rotogrip won't see a bump after all. It still bewilders me why a company would spend the countless 10s and 100s of thousands of dollars it costs to create a new brand and all the stuff that goes with it…but then just ignore that it exists when you're on TV where you actually have an audience????

And thats another marketing failure by ball companies that is helping Motiv…failure to really support the lesser brands by the parent company. DV8, RotoGrip, 900Global, Radical…they can't compete with Motiv because their pros end up all throwing either Brunswick or Storm labeled balls. If the pro wearing the logo on his shirt and the reps supporting him would rather throw another brand ball…why the hell would I buy the brand on their jersey???

Ebonite is different…because Ebonite actually bought brands that were equally or more popular than their parent companies brand. Once they got the Columbia and Hammer names…thats what they wanted…thats why they made the deal…and they've pretty much been 'Hammer' ever since because thats the most popular brand in their umbrella….thats where they've pushed their reserach and advertisement money….and now many bowlers forget that Ebonite and Track still make balls and they look at Columbia as a company that makes a good, cheap spare ball.

[rv driver]

What you're saying makes a lot of sense. I'm astute enough to realize the whole advertising/pro use paradigm, and I'm still influenced to buy Storm or Brunswick, because that's what I see all the time on TV. I haven't seen anybody throw Columbia this year, and I've sort of forgotten about them. I'd still like to give Motiv a shot though -- I was really impressed with their customer service when I was looking for my first ball. Columbia actually pi$$ed me off, so I stopped considering the Freeze, and ultimately ended up with the Misfit. I'm also looking at maybe trying a Melee Cross. Brunswick, right?

[John Anderson]

What you're saying makes a lot of sense. I'm astute enough to realize the whole advertising/pro use paradigm, and I'm still influenced to buy Storm or Brunswick, because that's what I see all the time on TV. I haven't seen anybody throw Columbia this year, and I've sort of forgotten about them. I'd still like to give Motiv a shot though -- I was really impressed with their customer service when I was looking for my first ball. Columbia actually pi$$ed me off, so I stopped considering the Freeze, and ultimately ended up with the Misfit. I'm also looking at maybe trying a Melee Cross. Brunswick, right?

Yes the Melee Cross is of the Brunswick variety. Dougb just got one I believe, so I'd direct your questions about it right to him.

[foreverincamo]

RV Driver, I have a Melee Cross. Great ball in my opinion. I drilled mine pin up. Very smooth ball off the breakpoint. Flares about 5". Only bad thing about the solid cover is that it picks up dirt rather easily. It cleans up well with the Monster Tac I have

[rv driver]

RV Driver, I have a Melee Cross. Great ball in my opinion. I drilled mine pin up. Very smooth ball off the breakpoint. Flares about 5". Only bad thing about the solid cover is that it picks up dirt rather easily. It cleans up well with the Monster Tac I have
I think I'm gonna pick this ball up, when I'm a few berries to the good. It looks like a helluva ball.

[dougb]

Yes the Melee Cross is of the Brunswick variety. Dougb just got one I believe, so I'd direct your questions about it right to him.

Yes I just got one and love it. I've used it on everything from the fresh to the absolutely trashed house shot (the bumpers were up on the lanes when I arrived) and it is fantastic. Absolutely smooth, absolutely predictable. None of the over/under of the original Melee but just as versatile. This ball has an old school look to both the cover and the ball motion. I got four new balls and it's my current favorite.

[Amyers]

Im seeing more and more Motiv on the lanes which is surprising since non of the pro shops here stock them. If a bowler (notoriously cheap and impatient) is willing to wait on something tells me thier must be something good going on there. Of the three houses I bowl regularly in one is mostly storm/roto and some seismic, the others two tend more towards a mix of Brunswick, hammer and storm. You can find a decent amount of motiv in all three though.

It's going to be interesting around here this fall as one of the pro shops just signed a staff contract with 900 global and the other shop has been stocking up on radical neither of which I see very much of.

[Aslan]

I'd still like to give Motiv a shot though -- I was really impressed with their customer service when I was looking for my first ball. Columbia actually pi$$ed me off, so I stopped considering the Freeze, and ultimately ended up with the Misfit. I'm also looking at maybe trying a Melee Cross. Brunswick, right?

You aren't the first one to praise Motiv's customer service nor the first one to criticize Ebonite Internationals'. I sent an e-mail to Ebonite over a year ago asking for help with the telescoping handle on my 4-ball roller bag and never got a response. And I've heard others that have bought Columbia balls that have cracked and Columbia gave them a lot of cARp when they tried to get a warranty replacement.

[rv driver]

You aren't the first one to praise Motiv's customer service nor the first one to criticize Ebonite Internationals'. I sent an e-mail to Ebonite over a year ago asking for help with the telescoping handle on my 4-ball roller bag and never got a response. And I've heard others that have bought Columbia balls that have cracked and Columbia gave them a lot of cARp when they tried to get a warranty replacement.
I had two simple questions about the ball that the web site didn't address. The guy spent the whole (less than five minutes) time sighing and rolling his eyes and giving these noncommittal, very short "yes/no" type answers. Like he'd rather be cleaning toilets in the bus station than be talking to me (which isn't all that unthinkable...). OTOH, I spoke with the gal at Motiv twice, and she was very conversational and very helpful. Acted as if I was the most important person in the world (also not that unthinkable...) ;-)

Unfortunately, this sort of attitude from Columbia leads me away from considering Hammer, 'cause I'd probably get the same stuck-up goober on the phone again when I have a question.